


If My Voice Is Reaching You

by iamnotafraidofspiders



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akechi Goro Deserved Better, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Slow Burn, Time Travel Fix-It, Veerrrryy slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2019-10-23 04:39:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17676617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamnotafraidofspiders/pseuds/iamnotafraidofspiders
Summary: A few months after the fight with Yaldabaoth, Akira still can’t let go of his regrets: namely, not being able to save the one person who truly couldn’t fight back for themselves. But that all changes one night as the Velvet Room reopens for him, offering one last chance to right old wrongs and truly complete his rehabilitation.





	1. New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Persona Fandom! This is my first ever Akeshu fic -- please be patient with me here!! I've read a lot of works here in the archive, and they've inspired me to try my hand at writing an "akechi deserved better" fic because it's exactly what I need (crying my way through my second full playthrough right now). Please let me know what you think of the story! I love to hear all comments and criticism :)

 

Returning to rural life was a bit of an adjustment, Akira had to admit. He’d been too optimistic about the move initially, thinking that relocating into the city the previous year had been much more difficult. The amount of change was significant, but he tried to put it into a positive light. Sure, Yongen-Jaya was great, but he hadn’t seen his parents in almost a year. And while he’d miss the Phantom Thieves and all the friends he’d made, he was always good at fitting in and making new ones. Besides, it wasn’t like any of them were actually gone. 

Case in point, Ann, whose constant texts were more of a hassle than a comfort at this point. 

 

_ Would you calm down? My phone is vibrating so much it looks like it’s got malware of some sort... _

_ Well it’s not like I can help it! I’m so excited to finally see your quaint little farmhouse! I want to see where little Akira-chan grew up~~~ _  
  


Akira rubs his temples, barely stifling a groan. Now  _ that  _ was one downside to leaving the city. His friends apparently saw him as nothing but a country hick now that he was out of Tokyo.   
  


_ Although it’s quite a charming image, I’ll remind you that I do not, in fact, live on a farm.  _

 

Morgana laughs from inside his bag. “C’mon Joker, you’re so calm and collected. It’s hard to believe you’d get so ruffled over a little teasing,  _ country boy _ . Maybe you really do miss city life?”

He ruffles Morgana’s fur in an attempt to avoid answering the question. No thank you, he’d rather not admit any of those things aloud. It was much easier to deny missing it at all than to think about what it might mean for him otherwise. Another year condemned to a place that felt like it was miles away from home? It wasn’t something he’d like to dwell on, for today at least.

“Whatever you say, Mona. Somehow I get the feeling this is just payback for leaving her in class alone with Ryuuji.”

Akira could admit that he was jealous about that, at the very least. Ann and Ryuuji had gotten their third year class assignments together. It could have been the three of them…

Well, he wasn’t one to brood about things like this. Missed opportunities weren’t life changing, not in the grand scheme of things. He preferred to focus on the present. That was what he liked to think about himself, anyway. Still, he wasn’t immune to the sting of regret, or the guilt that came up like bile in his throat at the thought of—

“Akira!” Ann’s voice cuts him out of his thoughts. She practically sprints off of the bus towards him, nearly pushing over several innocent bystanders on her way there. Akira puts his phone back into his pocket, and offers a hand to carry some of her bags (which threaten to drag him down to the floor as soon as he gets a good grip on them -- “What do you even put in these things?”)

They decide to drop Ann’s stuff off quickly at Akira’s house before starting the tour he promised her. He refuses to carry around whatever she has in that bag of hers (“you’re just here for the day, right? What are you going to need all this stuff for?”) but she uses it as an excuse to explore his house. Thankfully, both of his parents are at work, so he doesn’t need to explain the nosey blonde going through all of his childhood photos--and evidently, collecting blackmail material to take back to Tokyo.

In a futile attempt to distract her, and to stop her from turning his entire house inside out, he suggests a popular cake shop in the area to catch up and talk.   
  


\----

 

To his own surprise, Akira’s suggestion is a success. Ann is happily chewing on her third piece of cake by the time they finish catching up on recent school events. Inevitably, the conversation turns towards their time as Phantom Thieves.

“It’s so strange without having the Metaverse to back us up. Or Makoto or Haru, for that matter.”

“Do you miss them?"

“As much as you do, probably. It’s weird, having to take responsibility as the new seniors in the school.”

“I can only imagine. Unfortunately, I’m stuck in a new school yet again in my last year of high school. People aren’t really forcing a lot of  _ responsibility  _ on the kid who can’t stay in school for more than a year.”

“Akira, I’d feel a lot more sympathy for you if I didn’t know how good you were at getting people on your side. Ryuuji was at your side from day one, right?” She took a second to swallow a particularly large bite of chocolate forest cake. “Still though, you’ve left a gap here at Shujin.”

“No more criminal transfer student to gossip about? Oh, what a shame...” He grins and wiggles his brows, and Ann holds her fork in a way that suggests she can and will stab him with it. Instead, the two just laugh.

“Seriously! Ryuuji is a lost cause without you around. Kawakami and him have this weird rivalry going on. She’s been trying to get him to dye his hair back to its natural color but he gets more and more stubborn.”

“Really? It’s funny, I just can’t picture him without the glaring yellow lump on his head,” Akira says amusedly.

“Right? Natural hair would just look bizarre at this point. But that’s not even getting started on him and poor Mishima…”

While Akira loves Mishima and appreciates all of the work he did for the team, he can’t help but smile at the image of Mishima and Ryuuji duking it out without him there. “I honestly do wish I could be there to help, Ann, but my parents are, well, they want me here for the rest of the year.”

Ann nods. They’ve been over this particular subject what feels like a million times. Of course, once Akira’s probation ended, Sojiro had offered to take him in for the next year to finish his schooling at Shujin. A big part of him wanted to take the offer, but his parents had refused. It was easier to accept your son once his name had been cleared, Akira supposed.

A part of him had hoped living away from Tokyo might help him get over some of his regrets, but...no such luck.

“Just don’t forget about us, alright?” Ann sighs wistfully. That either means she’s thinking deeply about something or ready to order yet  _ another  _ slice of cake. But when she doesn’t flag down their waitress, Akira realizes maybe something is up.

“Ann, do you really think I could forget about you guys? You’re the best friends I could ask for.” He smiled gratefully. “Joining the Phantom Thieves made me the person I am today. I can’t just forget that so easily.”

“I know that much, dummy. It’s just that...losing the Metaverse has felt like losing a part of myself, you know? Before we entered that place, I was just a slave to Kamoshida and his reckless desires. Once I accepted Carmen, I felt like I was stronger, like I was able to fight back. And now that that’s gone…”

“Ann, you’re one of the strongest people I know. Having a Persona doesn’t have anything to do with it. You came to that strength on your own, didn’t you?” 

“But it’s more than that...I used to be able to help people in need. Like Shiho, and Futaba, and all those other kids who got screwed over. I don’t want to say that what we did wasn’t enough but I feel like our work went unfinished. Things are obviously  _ much  _ better now that Shido and Yaldabaoth are out of the way but…”

“ _ But  _ didn’t we agree to leave this stuff to the adults?” In response to Ann’s pout, he gives in to her a little. “I know, Ann. You of all people should know I still have regrets.”

The conversation hiccups a bit as the tone shifts to something much darker. “Akira? You know you can talk about it to me if you want. I may not be able to really get how you felt about this whole Akechi situation, but I was on the team with him too. We all cared about him, regardless of what happened.”

At the sound of the name, Akira feels his shoulders tense and hopes Ann isn’t perceptive enough to catch it. Something tells him he’s not that lucky. “Ann, with all due respect, this isn’t something I’d like to talk about right now.”

She hears this, and seems to ponder it for a moment, before softly speaking, “So when  _ will _ you talk about it? Akira, it’s been  _ months _ . I know you two were close, but doesn’t that make it even more important that you talk about this?”

“Talk about what, Ann? What, do you seriously think it’s important for me to dwell on my mistakes? I’m trying to move on! I’ve made my peace.”

“You clearly haven’t. Especially if you think it’s somehow  _ your fault _ that this even happened. You were nothing if not a loyal friend to Akechi--”

“One he evidently didn’t trust enough to be honest with,” Akira grumbles.

“--and do you seriously think you’re to blame for his mistrust? No. That was Shido, and Yaldabaoth, who used and manipulated a  _ literal child _ into obeying their wills, for their own sick sense of power and greed.”

“And whose job was it to protect people from shit like that? It was  _ mine _ . We could have...we could have  _ saved  _ him,  _ I  _ could have saved him. I failed…”

At this point, Akira’s face is hot with anger, and he’s not sure if it’s directed at Ann or himself (but something inside him is leaning towards the latter). Tears are threatening to spill from his burning eyes, and his breaths are becoming irregular. Ann’s face softens, and she grabs his palm from across the table. “You don’t need to hold it in. You don’t need to carry this burden alone, Akira.”

And at that moment, in the middle of a brightly lit cafe he’d be too embarrassed to ever return to, Akira lets himself  _ feel _ for the first time, and lets his tears fall.   
  


\----

 

Things calmed down later that night. As an apology for bringing that emotional outburst out of Akira, Ann offers to pay for tickets to a nearby cinema showing an action film. She casually mentions that if he has anything left over, he can always cry it out in the theater.

He elbows her into a nearby pedestrian without a sliver of guilt.

Truthfully, the experience was cathartic enough for him to be grateful--not enough to  _ completely  _ forgive her, but enough that by the end of the night they were back to laughing and chatting, reminiscing about the old times. 

But when Ann grabbed her things and left on the bus back to Tokyo with a tear-filled hug, Akira felt those emotions dawning on him again. Now that his invisible emotional plug had been removed, he didn’t know how to compensate for all of these feelings.

He walks home along the dim golden streetlights, and it reminds him of a sunny smile at an old dingy cafe. He passes a bird digging through someone’s lunch and the name  _ Crow  _ immediately comes to mind. And, for a split second, he almost sees a head of shiny chestnut hair, but it’s just the darkness playing tricks on him.

Akira really needs to get his shit together.

“You know, Ann’s kind of right,” Morgana pipes in through the cutting silence of his nighttime walk. “You really need to stop internalizing this stuff. I can hear your sighs of distress from here.”

“Oh, my sincerest apologies. Did I wake you from your nap?” Akira hopes the dryness of his tone is enough to convince the cat to drop the subject, but alas, Morgana has never been one to pick up on subtext.

He yawns loudly, before purring and murmuring, “No, don’t worry about that. I slept well through your cafe trip. Lady Ann’s lap is so comfortable…”

Akira stifles a laugh. Of course, the only two ways to distract Morgana are sushi and Lady Ann (in that order). But despite his words, Morgana seems to be on the brink of unconsciousness, as he sleepily mutters, “Still, I heard what you said today, and it worries me. Of course, you’re our leader, but it doesn’t make you the only one responsible for what happened. Any of us could have done something, but we left it all to you. We share the blame, if anything.”

Akira breathes out another sigh. “I guess you’re right. Thanks, Morgana.” He strokes the cat’s head in an attempt to get him back to sleep. 

Of course, he sees Morgana’s argument, but he still can’t shake the feeling that there’s something wrong with it. It  _ was  _ his fault. There had to be some chance of redemption for Akechi--he had saved them in the end, hadn’t he? If Akira could have just reached out a little more, maybe he could have convinced him to let go of his quest for revenge. Maybe he could have saved him, if he had just been a little bit faster.

The stirrings of anger, towards himself and towards that bastard Shido, start boiling in his gut when he sees a flash of light out of the corner of his eye. A familiar shape floats towards his field of vision.

 

_ This is truly an unjust game _

_ Your chances of winning are almost none _

_ But if my voice is reaching you  _

_ There may yet be a possibility open to you…  _

 

A flash of recognition occurs, and Akira is hit by a wave of deja vu. But once he blinks, the apparition is gone. He rubs his head. “Must be more tired than I thought…” Who would have known emotions were so physically draining?

He lays in bed that night, and a part of him still feels a different cot under his back. One more rough, and cold, and stained with the smell of coffee and  _ home _ . This may be his home in name, but Cafe Leblanc was the first place he felt like he truly belonged.

His last thoughts before settling into the deep embrace of sleep chastise him for becoming such an emotional sap.  

 

\----  
  


An endless room of blue begins to materialize behind his closed eyelids, and an all-too familiar scene comes into view. The prison bars are gone, as well as the shackles Akira had overcome in the past, but Lavenza still cheerfully greets him with a playful twinkle in her eyes.

“Welcome back, Inmate.”


	2. A Deal

 

On one hand, the Velvet Room has been a place of sanctuary for Akira for the past year or so. Igor and Lavenza, although they were somewhat hindered by Yaldabaoth, had guided him through his journey and helped him defeat countless Shadows. He thought of the two as good friends, and trusted them dearly.

However.

Being thrown back suddenly into the haunting, dreamlike state of the Velvet Room doesn’t exactly calm Akira down after such an emotionally turbulent day. After his heart rate slows down to what most people would consider average, he begins to feel a strain of annoyance laced with exhaustion and impatience.

How do you politely ask an immortal old man in a chair why the hell he interrupted your sleep for  _ this _ ?

He decides to play it safe, daring only to mutter a string of sleepy, confused grunts. Lavenza giggles and he pretends that it’s with him, and not at him. “Well, Joker? No greeting for an old friend?”

Akira offers a polite grin through his inner turmoil. Igor and Lavenza, not so easily disillusioned, see right through it. 

“Well, formalities are overrated, aren’t they? We may as well get to the point,” Igor says quickly, taking pity on him. “I’m sure you’re curious as to why we brought you here tonight.”

He nods. “I thought the Velvet Room closed along with the rest of Mementos. The cognitive world is gone, right?”

Lavenza sighs. “It seems you really learned nothing in our time together. Simply because you cannot access the world of cognition doesn’t mean it’s disappeared. After your task was completed and you saved the world from ruin, you no longer had access to this dimension between dream and reality. However we were able to grant you entrance once more here tonight.”

“But...why? What caused this? Is there another threat I need to use Mementos for?”

Igor smiles at him, in the way a parent smiles at a young child expressing confusion. “Well, I’ll admit that I was unaware you were so eager to jump back into the world of cognition, but this just makes everything much simpler for all of us.”

“How so?”

“Well, you’ve been given a second chance, Akira. Your self-perceived rehabilitation is...incomplete.”

He thinks back to his battle against the God of Control. “Did we...not defeat him? Yaldabaoth--I mean, I know he’s a god, but I was certain he’d been destroyed.”

Lavenza smiles patiently but it comes off as a bit condescending. “He means your regrets. The same thing you were dwelling on so much today.”

Akira tries to swallow down the lump in his throat before he speaks. “You can’t mean...Akechi? Is he a part of my rehabilitation?”

“He can be,” Igor says, “but this time, the choice is up to you. At the stage you’re in now, you won’t have to worry about anything more than living the rest of your life and growing into a peaceful adulthood. But both Lavenza and I have seen your regret and sorrow at the loss of your dearest friend Akechi and we’d like to make a...contract, of sorts.”

“What exactly would this even entail? You’re being awfully vague.”

“I’ll get to the point, I promise,” Igor says, with a glint in his eye that tells Akira he might not be completely honest. “Due to the success of your previous battle, and since I have regained much of my strength, I am able to send you back in time to one year ago. You could have a chance to reform yourself, to change your journey, and…”

“...and to save Akechi.” The realization sends a smile, a real one this time, onto his face. “Well, what are we waiting for? Send me back already, right?”

Lavenza groans. “Sometimes I still wonder how you’re our wild card. You need to know about the possible dangers of this plan. We’re still not entirely sure about anything going on here—no other Persona user has been sent back in time. Besides, meddling with time always has some sort of consequence.”

“Is there some kind of issue with looping time in general? Would it affect things if I acted differently the second time around?”

“We can’t be sure about that, but I’m fairly confident we can trust you to manage all seven palaces the second time around. On the other hand, reversing time could reawaken Yaldabaoth. And even if the Velvet Room is safe, it just means we won’t be able to predict his actions in the new timeline.”

Igor grins. “Although, if you do succeed in reforming Akechi, we have a much better chance. After all, he was another potential wild card before he was brought into Yaldabaoth’s control. Directing him away from the path of ruin could be what saves him. Besides, a mere god of control wouldn’t stand a chance against  _ two  _ wild cards.”

“Igor, you’re encouraging him too much,” Levana scolds. “Joker, you must know that this is no easy challenge to take on. You must go about your entire journey again, reawaken your spirit of rebellion, and face the treachery of the criminals you had already reformed. Are you willing to take that burden upon yourself?”

Akira tries to seriously consider the potential risks, but he can’t focus on the negative possibilities, when he thinks about his chance to  _ save Akechi _ . He had failed. He knew this. Akechi was the one who had been crying out for help that whole time, and that it’s his responsibility to at least try to save him, however futile Lavenza think it is.

“Well, what are Phantom Thieves for?”

“You’re not a Phantom Thief right now, Joker. You have the choice to live a perfectly normal life. Taking this on means enormous risk. You become responsible for anything that happens beyond this point…”

“I know I can do this. It might be more difficult the second time around, but I’m not sure I could live with myself if I chose not to take action this time. Doesn’t that make me all the more responsible for what happened to him?”

Lavenza looks concerned. “It’s not your fault what happened to him, you know. Don’t forget that.”

“Joker, when dealing with things like time travel, fighting to bring back those we have lost, these things are never simple,” Igor says the words slowly, as to lessen their effect, but Akira feels them cut into him with the same condescension as those from the adults who threw him into the trash.

“With all due respect Igor, I understand the  _ gravity  _ of the situation.” He reminds himself of his bond with the man to try and calm down before speaking again. “I know this isn’t something that should be thrown out there so casually, but...if there’s even the slightest chance...don’t I have to try?”

“There’s the Joker we know,” Lavenza softens. “It’s just, this is going to be a difficult road ahead of you, with many dangers...are you _certain_ that the risks are worth the reward?”

“Without a doubt.” He turns himself towards Igor with a determined expression. “I accept your offer, Igor. So, when do we begin?”

The man chuckles, as the blue walls begin to fade from his view. “I had hoped a clever boy like you would have realized that this was going to start as soon as you said the word.” 

Levanza smiles and raises a hand in farewell. “Good luck, Joker.” A sliver of worry creeps into her gaze. “Let’s hope you won’t need it.”

  
\----

 

“Kurusu... _ Kurusu! _ ” A harsh growl from his left side wakes him with a start. “You’re not seriously falling asleep right now, are you?”   


“S-Sakura-san?” He mumbles confusedly. “What are you--” he jolts up in his seat, the implications of his situation becoming immediately apparent to him.

“Yes? Welcome back to the land of the living. God, I can’t believe you’re falling asleep on the drive to your first day. Your homeroom teacher’s gonna need a lot of patience…”

It’s been awhile since Akira heard that tone from his guardian. It stings a little bit. He knows Sojiro doesn’t mean anything by it, that he’s just cautious and impolite because of the way he’s been treated in the past, but it doesn’t make the cold shoulder hurt any less.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to...I just, had a rough night, is all.”

Something in Sojiro’s face relaxes at that, but he quickly covers up the sympathy with faux disinterest. 

“Well, that’s understandable, but for next time, think before you…” his lecture is interrupted before it even starts. Akira finds himself missing Sojiro’s old habit of rambling on, and then immediately blanches. Is he really regretting missing out on one of  _ Sojiro’s lectures _ ? He really must be going crazy.

Well, this weird shift back to a year ago has gotten him a little wound up. He wouldn’t be surprised if it took a minor toll on his mental state, but regardless, he needs to get himself together for the time being.

Sojiro’s phone rings until he fumbles to accept the call. Whatever he hears on the other end must be concerning, because his fingers tighten almost imperceptibly around the phone, and his voice cracks in the way it does when he talks about Futaba when he says, “Of course, yeah, I’ll be right there.” 

He turns to look at Akira sternly as soon as the call ends. “Well, we’re just about here at Shujin, but I’m going to need to trust that you can find your own way back. I have...business...to attend to before I get back to Leblanc.”

Without a second of hesitation, Akira is back to being cautious and concerned. He can’t get a moment of rest, can he? Nothing like this had happened in the first timeline. Did something happen to Futaba? Was she alright? He couldn’t even ask now, considering he wasn’t supposed to know her. Not for a few months, at least, unless he tried to bypass that and open her Palace sooner than planned. 

That was another thing to worry about. What he could and couldn’t tell the people he knew. He would have to keep his previous timeline’s memories separate from this one, so he didn’t reveal any information he wasn’t supposed to know. He’d also have to deal with his closest friends acting like strangers for a while. And having to slowly grow to gain their trust, and reform all of his previous bonds, and…

And this might be a bit more difficult than he’d initially expected.

“Of course. Are...are things alright with you, Sakura-san?” He hopes this isn’t too invasive, but Sojiro appreciates honesty, and Akira is honestly worried. 

It doesn’t go unnoticed, and he rewards Akira with more of an answer than he thought he would get. “Family problems, nothing you need to worry about.” If only he knew that hearing those words made him that much more worried. It only confirmed the fact that Futaba was dealing with some type of problem, and that he was helpless to save her. “If I were you I’d be more worried about being late to meet your new homeroom teacher.”

One quick glance at the clock in Sojiro’s car makes him almost forget his earlier worry. He thanks his guardian and rushes out of the car to get to the school on time. 

He is in such a rush that he doesn’t even notice the tall, looming figure in front of him at the school gates. His movement is entirely halted by a large, buff man with an ugly grin on his face. Akira tries not to gag. 

Upon recognizing the transfer student, Kamoshida grimaces. “Watch where you’re going next time.” His gaze lingers on Akira’s disheveled appearance, no doubt mentally filing him as  _ trouble  _ before even getting to know him. “Hey, you’re that transfer student, aren’t you? If I were you, I’d be cautious. You were lucky to even get into a school like this. I’d hate to see you kicked out before you were  _ properly adjusted _ .”

It may have just been Akira, but Kamoshida’s threats seemed much less direct in the last timeline. Or was he just being paranoid?

“Sorry, sir. I’ll be more careful next time.” He tries as best he can, but he guesses he really is incapable of keeping the disgust out of his voice. Acting definitely isn’t in his future.

In any case, Kamoshida doesn’t move. “Good. Because to make it in this school, you’ll need to learn a thing or two about  _ respect _ .” The man doesn’t blink as he speaks these words, and Akira tries to as well--but the spit coming into his eyes makes it damn near impossible.

He manages to nod quickly and dodge his way around Kamoshida. He had no recollection of things being this bad last year--although, it has been a long time since he’s been around without the support of his friends. He missed Ryuuji’s long winded rants at people he thought were being “disrespectful”. It was only a day or so he would have to wait before “meeting” him again though, he supposed. If all went according to plan.

Following that unpleasant confrontation, Akira’s paranoia persisted throughout his entire meeting with Kawakami. Instead of listening to his former homeroom teacher/maid, he reflected on what was weird about this timeline. 

When he traveled back, he’d expected things to go just about exactly the same as they had previously. The only thing different would be his own actions, and the consequences of those, right? And yet, on the car ride with Sojiro, the man had received a call. Was there some trouble with Futaba? Or some unknown threat he had yet to learn about?

Why does he feel so clueless when he’s already lived through this time?

Akira resolves himself to talk to Igor about this later. It’s a surprise how much he’s regretting jumping into this all of a sudden. He had no idea he’d be wishing for more time to adjust to the idea of moving back. But if it’s for Akechis sake…

“Kurusu-kun?” Kawakami puts on a deadly glare. 

“Yes, sensei. I’ll be here tomorrow, I promise.” He tries not to roll his eyes. His homeroom teacher may try to seem threatening, but she has a real soft spot for all of her students. He knows she would never actually go through with any sort of punishment. 

“Watch yourself, transfer. You don’t want any rumors going around.” Well, some things didn’t change. Kawakami’s concern, Sojiro’s poorly veiled sympathy. The people he cared about were still the same, regardless of the timeline. And of course, Kamoshida seemed to still be an asshole. 

Is it weird that he’s comforted by that fact? 

  
\----  
  


Akira is startled to see rain when he comes out of the building. Sojiro had picked him up in the last timeline, but he can’t remember for the life of him whether it had been raining that day. _ Is this another sign of a divergence from the last timeline? Or am I reading too much into it? _

After picking at his brain for another few moments, he decides the best course of action is just to get home before he overthinks things and implodes. It’s possible, of course. 

He keeps his eyes peeled to the ground, wishing he could find an answer somewhere in the reflections of a stormy sky. Things are complicated now, and he isn’t sure if living through this timeline will ever fix that. The consequences of moving to the past are only just beginning to dawn on him.

He’s trying to empty his mind of all thoughts when a figure collides with him. Tall, lean, and faintly smelling of vanilla. 

When he opens his eyes, a familiar head of chestnut hair meets them. 

His voice seems to work before his brain catches up. “Akechi?” 


	3. I Am Thou, Thou Art I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry everyone! I meant to update this fic ages ago, but haven't gotten around to editing this chapter since school/life got so crazy. I'm hoping to stick to updates every other week or so, so stick around for that :)

Akira never knew dead boys could look so handsome. 

Akechi is undeniably pretty, as mysterious and charming in his past life as he is now. No one gets such a legion of fanclubs without having a certain degree of looks. Nonetheless, Akira isn’t sure he’s glad to see him so early on in his journey. Seeing the boy who had tried to kill him, the boy he’d let go of so easily, makes his heart twinge. Regret, guilt, fear, maybe a mix of the three? 

He can also account for the shock of seeing him in person, living and breathing just as Akira had seen him a few months prior. He can’t be blamed for stuttering out a flustered, “Sorry,” and quickly ducking his head beneath his bangs to try and compose himself. This is it, his first fateful encounter. Regardless of the strangeness of the situation, and the fact that he shouldn’t meet Akechi for a good few months, he can accept it as a gift of sorts. He needs to take control of the situation and make sure he establishes some sort of connection before the boy slips out of his grasp.

Tentatively, he tilts his umbrella towards him, in a wordless peace offering. He follows it up with what (he hopes) is a charming grin and says, “Need an umbrella?”

That’s his strategy: charisma. He learned a thing or two about charm in the past. How to scratch right behind someone’s metaphorical ears, how to flatter people in just the right way so they let their guard down. And as a resident Akechi expert, he knew the boy took  _ very  _ well to compliments. So, the solution?

The only real plan he can come up with is...well..flirting. He can manage this, right? 

“W-what?” The boy looks startled, and a surprised flush overtakes his face. “Are you just giving away your umbrella?”

“I think you need it more than I do, that’s all.” He pushes the handle into Akechi’s grasp. “Take it, please.”

“No, I couldn’t, really. It’s my own fault being unprepared like this, I usually check the weather before I leave…”

“I insist. Wouldn’t want to get your fancy suit all wet, would we?” Akira bats a playful hand at his tailored shirt. “Seriously. It’s no big deal, I’m not far from home anyways.”

“Still, to just take your umbrella like this…”

“How about this? We’ll exchange chat IDs as your payment for my service,” Akira winks, “and if you really don’t want to keep the umbrella, you can bring it back to me. I, uh...work at the local cafe around this area, have you heard of Leblanc?” 

He smiles to himself, knowing damn well how much Akechi loves Sojiro’s coffee. In spite of all of the changes he’s seen in the timeline, he’s confident the detective’s caffeine addiction is not so easily deterred. In fact, he’s right. The boy’s eyes light up in recognition, and then slight confusion. “I didn’t know he hired part-timers there...uh, regardless, I will definitely return the umbrella tonight. I really don’t know how to thank you enough for this.”

“Like I said earlier,” Akira smiles, “Chat IDs? You’re an interesting guy, I’d like to talk more with you.” 

Akechi looks confused at Akira’s relentless pursuit. However, the pleased flush on his cheeks tells him everything he needs to know. Akechi was always flustered but thrilled by compliments, and that could be his way in. If he can just get close enough, Akechi might put some trust in him…

He pulls out his phone, and quickly sends the chat request. It’s a bit strange seeing his new,empty phone with only one contact staring up at him. A small part of him is embarrassed, and he hopes Akechi doesn’t take notice of his lack of messages. Soon enough, he knows, he’ll have too many texts to even bother answering, but it’s not easy looking like a loner. 

He reminds himself that Akechi isn’t judgemental like that. Despite his rather evil and murderous tendencies, Akechi wasn’t bad. He was innocent and naive at times, which is probably why it was so easy for Shido to shape him into some kind of executor. But Akechi’s true personality was sweet, understanding, and almost cute. Sure he was a bit awkward in a group, overeager for any kind of praise, but he never tried to make anyone feel uncomfortable. In fact, it was really just a hatred of Akira himself that tore him from the Phantom Thieves.

If he has any choice in the matter, things will be different this time around. He has the chance of a lifetime, a blank slate, a completely new timeline. If he has a strong enough will to change…

“So, can I expect to see you at Leblanc sometime soon?”

“I hope so. You know, you’re an interesting figure too. All this talk and I still haven’t gotten your name.” 

“Kurusu Akira. And don’t worry about introducing yourself, Mr. Detective Prince.” Akechi has the nerve to look surprised, and Akira laughs. “I may be new to the area, but don’t underestimate your popularity. I’m curious as to what you’re doing in a place like Yongen-Jaya.”

The boy looks a bit uncomfortable, but still manages a proper excuse. “I had a meeting with one of my coworkers in the area. She actually frequents that cafe you mentioned.”

“I hope you found the coffee to be to your tastes?”

“Truthfully, it is a little bitter for my tastes. Um, please don’t tell the owner I said that. I respect his work and all...but I have a bit of a sweet tooth, I’m afraid.” 

“Maybe I’ll make you a cup of my own someday, see how you like it. Sojiro’s always bragging about his coffee but you haven’t lived until you’ve tasted my Guatemalan roast. And don’t worry about the sweetness, I’ll find just the right blend for you.”

“I look forward to it.” Akechi smiles, and the two exchange a quiet moment of peace. 

Akira can almost swear he hears the  _ clink  _ of a new Confidant link, and tries not to feel too smug about it.   
  


\---

The walk home through the rain is, indeed, a bit unpleasant. His hair is plastered down to his forehead, his glasses are fogged up and wet, and he knows he’s starting to smell. And yet, Akira can’t seem to let it bring him down. He managed to get Akechi’s number and even established something close to friendship with the boy,  _ months  _ earlier than planned. 

His mood dips a little when he sees Sojiro sitting at the bar, head down. Then he notices the sign flipped to ‘closed’. 

He thinks back to the phone conversation and concern outweighs reason. He walks behind the bar to face his caretaker at eye level, before venturing to ask, “Soji-er, Sakura-San, are you alright?” He doesn’t want to push too far, but it’s hard with this new distance between them. It’s hard for him not to just jump in and try to  _ fix  _ things. 

“Heh, don’t worry too much about an old man like me.” 

“Are you sure? I know it’s none of my business, but you look pretty worn out. If there’s anything you need to get off your chest, you can tell me, you know.” He laughs awkwardly. “It’s not like I have a lot of people to tell about this kind of stuff anyway.”

“Fair enough. But you’d better watch it, if you keep acting mature like that I might just have to kick you out of here alright?”

Akira tries not to look too offended by this. After all, Sojiro was a bit of a tsundere at heart. Getting threatened in that loving way really brings back a wave of nostalgia and comfort.

He looks at Akira, gauges his expression, and seems to think he’s just interested enough to divulge his problems to. “You’re…not the only kid I’m taking care of right now. An old friend of mine has this daughter I’ve been looking after. She’s a little bit younger than you, but I’ve known her for years. She’s practically family.

“She’s been having trouble sleeping lately. I’m not sure the details, because she has trouble opening up and I don’t really know what to do about it. And...well, being a guardian has some complications, per say. I don’t know if she’ll listen to me. I’ve tried so many times to get her to talk with no success. I feel like she just doesn’t feel comfortable with an old guy like me but I just wish there was  _ something  _ I could do to help.”

“Maybe I could give it a try?” This is definitely pushing it, but getting close with Futaba early on could give him a huge advantage. “I know it might be hard for you to trust me, but if there’s something I can do to help I’d like to. We’re around the same age. Maybe she’ll feel a little more comfortable talking to me about it?”

“That—isn’t a terrible idea, actually. Would you really?”

“Of course.” Akira grins. “And if you need more help around the shop, I can definitely offer a hand. I’d like to thank you, properly, for taking me in like this.”

Sojiro looks a bit suspicious. “You aren’t doing this just to take advantage of a young girl, are you?” 

“Who says I’m interested in girls?” Akira smiles. “Seriously, though, don’t worry about that. I’m just an innocent high schooler trying to lay low for a while. Can’t have me getting arrested again, can we?” 

He laughs. “You’re an interesting guy, Kurusu. Maybe I’ll introduce you to her sometime next week.” 

_ Next week?  _ Akira is going to have two extra confidants on his team ages before he was supposed to even meet him. Can he count this as a victory, or is the timeline even more screwed up than he had anticipated?

\---

It’s only a few hours later that Akechi drops by the cafe to return Akira’s umbrella. 

“You’re really eager to get this over with, aren’t you?” Akira teases. 

“No, no, I just...didn’t want to make you wait for it. You really have no idea how grateful I am. I had a meeting today, work was a huge pain, and walking in the rain without an umbrella would have made it so much worse.”

“I didn’t realize I could make such an impact just by lending my umbrella.” He laughs sheepishly, not expecting the gratitude.

“You’d be surprised. It’s not often that someone extends such a simple kindness so thoughtlessly.” He smiles, but something haunting lays just below the surface of that look. 

“Well if it means I get a personal delivery each time, then maybe I should do it more often.” It’s strange how easily he can fall into this flirty banter with the same boy who tried to kill him only a few months ago. He doesn’t know how to feel about that, exactly. 

Akechi makes to leave the cafe now that he’s apparently done here. Akira doesn’t let him get away so easily, stopping him with a light smile and a pleading glance. “Won’t you let me make you a cup of coffee first? It’s on me.”

Sojiro laughs from the back of the kitchen. “I hope you can afford that.” 

Akira tries to hold back a dirty look but fails miserably. Sojiro laughs at his embarrassment, but he’s most surprised by the little giggle that slips out of the stone cold detective.

Has he ever heard him laugh like that before?

“S-sorry, you just looked so affronted at that, I couldn’t help myself,” Akechi admitted. His posture relaxed at the laugh that Akira let out in response.

“Don’t worry, I’m used to the humiliation at this point. Sakura-san doesn’t exactly go easy on me.” 

The man in question groans and pinches his forehead. “I’ll never understand you kids. I’m going out to take a smoke break. Can I trust you to close up the shop?” He nods at Akechi. “This young gentleman is free to stay and finish his coffee, just make sure he’s out before the trains stop running. And be careful, too, with all the accidents going on…”

The reminder that Akechi is presently being manipulated into mindless slaughter is definitely a sobering thought to Akira. Sure, he knew what he was getting into when he agreed to take on the task of saving and reforming Akechi but…

Did it become his fault when these innocents died? Was it his duty to save all of them as well? How was he supposed to shoulder the guilt and responsibility of a possible failure?

He’s not sure what kind of expression is on his face, but Akechi looks worried. “Kurusu-san? Are you still with me?”   


He shakes off his doubts, and resolves to deal with them later, rather than in the presence of his problem. “Don’t worry about me. And I thought I told you to call me Akira.”

“I apologize, but you weren’t responding earlier to your given name. I was asking if you were a student at Shujin? I thought I recognized the uniform.”

“Yeah, I’m a transfer. I start classes tomorrow.” Akira isn’t sure where this conversation is going. “Why? Do you know anyone who attends there?”

“Ah, yes, an...acquaintance of mine goes there. I just thought I’d offer a word of advice” He hesitated for only a moment before lowering his voice a bit. “I’ve heard rumors that the school administration can be a bit  _ strict _ . Just, be careful, alright? They don’t always take well to good people.”

This level of concern was never present in the old  Akechi. Part of Akira wonders if this new personality exists solely because Akechi doesn’t know about his activity in the Metaverse, or if something else has fundamentally changed within him between the past timeline and this one. 

“I’m always careful, no need to worry about me,” Akira says casually. “This isn’t my first time dealing with shitty authority figures, you know. I can handle myself.”

The boy’s bangs slide down his forehead as his head tilts to a slight angle. “Any experience in particular that caused this  _ experience _ with authority?”

“Well, if I told all my stories on the first date, that would just ruin the fun, now wouldn’t it?” Akira winks.

Akechi attempts to stutter out a response as his face colors red completely. Akira is having far too much fun trying to get a reaction out of him. It’s just cute, to see someone so in control lose his composure, he thinks. It’s perfectly normal to enjoy flirting with a friend, even if that friend happens to be a murderer you were brought back in time to save.

Nothing complicated about that at all. 

After clearing it up with Akechi, and confirming that  _ no _ , this is not a date, and Akira is only treating him to a cup of coffee, the boy insists that it’s urgent he leave immediately to manage another work affair. He also reminds Akira that his first day of school is tomorrow, and it’s essential he get a good night’s rest in preparation. He tries not to laugh at the warnings, knowing well he’d already passed second year with flying colors. 

Well, he reminds himself, he may not be attending much of school the next day. In fact, he’ll need his stamina for something else entirely. It’s still frustratingly difficult to calm down enough to fall asleep. Ryuuji, Ann, and Morgana are waiting for him tomorrow. They’ll be counting on him to get rid of that bastard Kamoshida.

Sleep eventually catches up to him, and he swears he sees a pair of reddish brown eyes staring back into his. Is it just a strange dream, or is it something else entirely?


	4. Palace of Lust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is a little late! I was super sick this week, and by the time I got around to writing it the chapter ended up being almost twice as long as usual...the editing feels a little rough on this one, but I hope you all enjoy! :)

Everything that cold, rainy morning seems to be going exactly according to plan. It’s a little eerie how closely the scene follows his hazy memory from a year ago. Seeing Ann’s tight clipped frown as she steps into Kamoshida’s car is a bit surreal. Ryuji appears right on schedule, yelling after Kamoshida’s car in vain.

“Dammit! Screw that pervy teacher…”

This time, Akira is careful to repeat the words into his phone. He already opened up the app in advance, just to make sure everything goes according to plan. “Pervy...teacher?”

“That’s Kamoshida, do you seriously not know him?” He glances down at the Shujin uniform Akira is wearing. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. Are you new here or somethin’?”

“Yeah, I’m a transfer student. Akira Kurusu, and you?”

“Uh...Sakamoto Ryuji, nice to meetcha?”

“Same here. So what’s up with this Kamoshida guy again?”

Ryuji quickly accepts this hasty answer, which isn’t much of a surprise. He definitely just needs to vent about what a shitty guy Kamoshida is, and it only takes a few minutes for Akira to get all the necessary code words input into the app. He’s eager to enter the Palace, to see what’s changed and get a good grasp on his situation  _ inside  _ the Metaverse.  

Akira almost feels bad for pushing the conversation so inorganically, but he wants to make sure the two of them get into the Palace,  _ today _ . Things are going entirely too fast for him, and he needs to make sure he keeps up with the new pace. Besides, it feels natural with the two of them, given Akira’s extensive history with the guy. He knows Ryuji isn’t one to overthink interactions like these, despite Akira pushing the castle metaphor a little too much. 

“Hey, do you think you could help me get to the school? I’m not exactly familiar with my way around, since this is my first day and all.” He smiles before adding, “I also think we may be running a bit late.”

Ryuji acts exactly as expected, jumping up into the air in panic. “For real?” He scratches his head and leans in. “Don’t worry, dude, I’ve got a shortcut that’ll take us right to the school. We gotta pull through a few alleyways, but other than that it’s all fair game.”

“Well, by all means, lead the way.”

\----

The interior of the palace is a bit more intimidating than Akira remembers. He can’t hear Arsene’s familiar presence behind him, which of course is a bit uneasy, but he  _ should  _ be able to awaken him easily enough. Isn’t he already connected to the Velvet Room? Why should he need to...reawaken? It feels a bit odd, but he pushes the thought aside to deal with the current predicament. 

A few guards stand over him with their swords, and he closes his eyes, listening for a voice to tell him to reawaken. It doesn’t take long before the familiar but comforting feeling overtakes him, and he rips off his mask in a gust of wind. Arsene recognizes him immediately, and teases him for taking too long. “I hope you’re not getting too comfortable here. Where’s that spirit of rebellion I sought after in you, huh?”

Akira grins at his partner. This, apparently, enrages Kamoshida, because he decides to try and attack him directly before getting knocked down by another deceptively strong gust of wind. The false king scrambles backwards into a corner, cowering away from his newly appeared foe. 

He decides he’ll be better off with some backup and heads out of the room to do just that. 

Ryuji looks equally afraid, but he gives Akira the benefit of the doubt. “How the hell did you do that, dude? You totally kicked his ass!” He gestures over at his bonds, and then pleadingly at Akira. “Think you can do something about these?” 

Without even a word between them, Arsene gets the idea and slices open the chains binding the boy. He shakes himself off, and appears to be reorienting himself. He probably thinks they’re safe, now that Kamoshida left. 

But Akira knows better. “We don’t have time for this. Kamoshida could be back any second now, we’ve gotta get moving if we’re gonna make it out alive.”

“Wait, you don’t really think...we can  _ die  _ here, do you?” Akira's expression must say enough, because Ryuji shudders after a moment. “Alright, I’m gonna trust you to get me out of this place, but only because you’ve got the mean dude with the chains. Please tell me you’ve got an idea how to get out of this place.”

He does, but he’ll try to leave some mystery in it. “Well, I guess we’ll find out. Here, let’s get out and see where the path takes us.”

“Ugh, this effin sucks, man.” He looks over at him sympathetically, and smiles. “Hell of a first day, isn’t it?”

Akira manages a grin and playfully taps Ryuji's shoulder. “Makes for a good introduction story though, huh?”

\---

It takes far too long wandering the palace before they encounter Morgana. Akira wonders if he’s getting rusty, or if the cat is just messing with them in the first place. Hiding inside of the Palace is exactly something he would do—or maybe he just got sidetracked after he saw something shiny. 

Actually, shouldn’t Morgana remember him in this timeline? The cat has a connection to the Velvet Room, so if Igor’s theory is correct, he should have all of his memories from his past life. 

In that case, Akira wonders why he hadn’t come to him sooner. The stress of the new timeline is beginning to get to him, and he needs to just let it out to someone who isn’t going to label him crazy at the first sound of “time travel.” 

Unfortunately, Morgana seems to have no recollection when they actually talk. If he really knew about the time travel situation, wouldn’t he at least give some indication to Akira? A wink or some hint at his past life? But this cat spits off the same lines as he did in the previous timeline. There’s no sign that he knows anything about Akira, or even that he knows who he is.

He might just be keeping the truth from Ryuji. Maybe he’s waiting for a moment the two of them are alone. If this Mona really does remember what’s happened, he may just drop by Leblanc to talk to Akira. But he has a bad feeling that may not be the case. 

If his cat doesn’t have his memories back right now, what does that mean about the rest of the Velvet Room? Igor, Lavenza, do they have any idea of Akira’s situation or is he really alone here in this new timeline?

It’s startling, this realization that he may completely on his own here. He came prepared to lose all of the people around him, but a part of him wished he could at least keep his immortal friends on his side. Then an even more terrifying notion hits him; if the Velvet Room is lost, chances are Yaldabaoth has something to do with it. And if the god of control has Igor in his clutches again, it may be a lot more difficult to work around, what with these new complications. 

Morgana splits off to explore more of the Palace, and Ryuji gently reminds him that they’re  _ effin late and totally screwed,  _ tearing him out of his internal bout of anxiety. Now he only has to face an angry Kawakami, instead of a god trying to tear down the entirety of human civilization. 

In all honesty, he’s not much more optimistic about his prospects. He and Ryuji head back to Shujin, promise to have a long talk about this later, and try to get into the building as quickly as they can. 

\---

Class is uneventful, but after school Akira meets Ryuji up on the rooftop to talk about just exactly what happened to the two of them. He tries to maintain an air of ignorance and confusion, similar to Ryuji, but the boy is more perceptive than he gives him credit for.

“Look, I get the feeling you kinda know what’s going on here. I just, I wanna know how to tell if I can trust you.” The look on his face is telling of his confusion, because Ryuji elaborates, “I think you’re a cool dude, but I have no clue what’s going on and you seem so...sure of yourself. Is there something you’re not telling me?”

Akira scratches his head and tries to think of a way to put it without appearing too obvious. “Well, it’s...familiar, for sure. But this is the first I’ve seen of the place, same as you.” It’s sort of a lie, sure, but these  _ were  _ the circumstances under which he first entered the Metaverse. Was it technically lying to say that this was the place he first discovered that world?

He’s a good liar, despite how much he hates that fact. Ryuji groans and slumps his head. “Ugh, why are you so unaffected by this whole thing? It’s like, you’re the cool and silent type, aren’t you?”

Akira quirks his head slightly to the side, gracing him with a small grin in mirth. “I can’t possibly imagine what you’re talking about.”

“Damn, you’re gonna make me look so uncool, dude…” He laughs and straightens up. “Still, I like you. Oh, and by the way?” 

“Yeah?”

“We’re...partners now, right? In school and in whatever world that is? I’ve got your back from now on, but I gotta know that you’ve got mine too.”

He smiles. It’s really good to have Ryuji back. He was a pillar for him in the past timeline, someone he could confide in without fear of judgement, someone who would unquestioningly take his side and always listen to what he had to say first. “I won’t let you down, Ryuji. You can count on me.”

The satisfyingly familiar ring of a Confidant link rings in his head and brings up his spirits significantly. 

\---

Unfortunately, his good mood doesn’t last for long. They split up at the end of the staircase, as Ryuji has something to pick up in the classroom. The two of them don’t travel the same way, so the blonde tells him not to wait up, and Akira reluctantly agrees, heading out to the courtyard.

He checks his phone, and opens up his conversation with Akechi. He’s left some sweet messages for him, which is always a great way to end the day.   
  


 

_ You’re ridiculous. I hope you don’t talk to every stranger you meet with such blatant honesty. _

_ Oh, forgive me, I didn’t realize you’d be in school at this point. Please don’t get distracted in your classes, especially not on the first day… _

**It’s so sweet to see you concerned like this, Akechi-kun. I didn’t realize how much you cared~~**   
  


 

He’s in the middle of typing out an invitation to Leblanc when he runs into her. Of course, he’s glued to his phone, but the collision isn’t really his fault. The girl is in a rush to get somewhere, and clearly flustered when she falls. 

Akira doesn’t think they hit one another that hard. To just fall like that...and that’s when he recognizes her figure.

_ Shiho _ . Still as heavily bruised in this timeline as the last one. Her arms are shaking when he offers his own hand out to pull her up. Worst of all, the look in her eyes is one of fear, powerlessness, and distrust. She does take his hand, but she is unsteady on her feet when she gets up.

Her head ducks down submissively. She looks up at him through the gap in her bangs, and says, “I’m s-so sorry. I really shouldn’t be running around like that.”

“Hey, no, it’s not your fault. It was my bad, I wasn’t looking where I was going.” He puts a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she flinches away from it and he quickly pulls away to respect her space. “Are you alright? It looked like a rough fall, maybe I could take you to the infirmary--”

“No!” She looks frantic, but quickly tries to cover up for her brief lapse in volume by repeating herself. “No, I’m sorry, but--I really need to get going. S-Sensei needed me for something, and I shouldn’t keep him w-waiting.”

_ Oh.  _ Something hot and angry boils up inside of him at the reminder of Kamoshida’s  _ summons _ . Dealing with all the other shitty Palace owners made him forget about the sinister nature of the disgusting teacher’s crimes. There was something so repulsive about his fixation on the female students in school, and his rampant anger, unaddressed and untampered.

Shiho’s loss of self assurance, and safety in school were the result of this bastard’s untamed lust and desire for power. It had such a personal impact on these students, his friends. The thought of what Kamoshida was going to do to her in his office made Akira want to go up there, grab him by the shoulders, and punch him square in the jaw.

Not a very Phantom Thief move, but one he’d gladly partake in all the same.

He nods at Shiho politely, and waves goodbye as she scrambles off to the nearest staircase. He clenches his fist to control his shaking hands, and breathes deeply. His phone buzzes again, but he can’t talk to anyone right now, not before he calms down a little bit. 

But staring through the busy window on the subway train, another more horrifying realization strikes him. Shiho is going to jump off of the Shujin roof in what, a week or so? 

_ Shit. _ Shiho is going to jump, and Akira is the only person who knows about it. 

Akira is the only one who knows about this, and if he doesn’t do something...she’s going to jump, and it’s going to be his fault. Not Kamoshida’s, not Shiho’s.  _ His.  _ He’s the only one who knows.

It was such an innocuous and straightforward thought, but the implications terrify him. He could think about his responsibility to all the victims of the criminals he knows are out there. But he knows he’ll shut down each Palace as it comes to him, and free those victims of the criminals hurting them.

On the other hand, Shiho was a failure, a ghost of his past. Something he hadn't accounted for when he traveled back in time. And now he’s faced with her every day, knowing he couldn’t stop her from jumping in the past and having  _ no clue  _ how to go about it this time around.

He has an idea of what to do, but he doesn’t know if it will work. He can befriend her, talk to her, try to gain her trust, but in the end he had no  _ clue  _ what she would do with that. Kamoshida has abused her, tormented her, raped her. What the  _ fuck  _ can he do to save her?

When he’s in the Metaverse, fighting Shadows and taking down enemies, he knows he’s making a real, tangible difference. In the real world though? He feels powerless when he’s faced with the idea of saving someone, when he has no idea how to get through to them without the help of the Metaverse. It makes him feel so lame to rely on his Persona when something so serious is happening in the real world.

Akira steps off of the subway cart feeling numb, powerless, and drained. It’s his responsibility, isn’t it? To take care of Ryuji, Ann, Shiho, Mishima...their fates all rest on his shoulders.  _ He has to pull himself together.  _

When he walks into Leblanc, he’s ready to just go upstairs into bed and stare up at the ceiling for a little while to dissociate before actually attempting any sort of plan. He deserves this, right? But he’s startled to see Akechi sitting at the barstool, smiling and opening a hand in greeting.

The boy must realize Akira isn’t in a talking mood. He looks exhausted. The day is finally catching up to him. After all, he’s coming to terms with the fact that he has no idea the state of the Velvet Room, he might be responsible for the attempted suicide of one of his classmates, and he’s completely alone in this world full of almost strangers. Ann is still cold towards him, even though last week they were laughing over a piece of cake together. Ryuji had to ask him if he was trustworthy. And Sojiro still gives him the cold shoulder and treats him like a criminal, despite the few moments of closeness they’ve shared.

He’s so alone, and so afraid. Maybe Akechi recognizes those emotions.

“Kurusu-kun?” He asks. “Are you alright? You don’t look too good.”

Akira slumps down on a barstool next to him, and the relief of the cold countertop against his forehead makes him want to tear up a little. “Oh, Akechi, don’t you know not to insult a man’s appearance? You’ll hurt my fragile ego.” His words end up muffled against the table, but Akechi must hear him fine because he manages a quiet laugh.

“I’ll admit it, I underestimated you. You’re still able to manage jokes like those even in this state of yours.” But Akira doesn’t lift his head up or even acknowledge the praise. Akechi hesitantly places his hand on his shoulder, and asks, “Anything I can do to help?”

Sojiro comes out of the kitchen, and takes one look at Akira’s helpless state. He says, “You know what? I’ll cook up some of my signature curry for you, kid. You look like you could use it.”

This brings up Akira’s head, just for a moment. There must be something pathetic about his hopeful expression, because Akechi giggles again.  _ God, why is that sound so damn cute?  _ “Really, Sakura-san? You’re the best.”

“Oh, don’t thank me. I’m putting it on your tab, along with the coffee you’ve offered to Akechi-san. You’ll be paying me back in  _ full  _ for this, I assure you.” And Akira’s head when straight back down on the countertop. “Hey, don’t get the bar dirty with your teenage angst alright? I’ve got paying customers who use that table.”

Akira turns his head to face Akechi, looking at him as if to say,  _ ‘Can you believe this shit?’  _ But he’s thrown off by the concern he sees in the boy’s face. He asks, “Are you really alright? I know you tend to joke a lot, but you look really worn out. You can...you can tell me these things. I’d like to think that you can trust me.”

There’s a layer of irony to that that Akechi can’t even understand. Akira had wanted to trust him once, so badly. There was something about that night Akechi betrayed all of them that stuck with him, almost as much as the regret of losing him. Seeing the barrel of the gun pointed down his nose, so close to the friend he’d tried to save, was horrifying. It shook him, made him question his loyalties and the other bonds he’d formed.

How can he trust him, after something like that?

But he reminds himself, that the point of this entire ordeal is to  _ change _ . To change the timeline, to change Akechi’s fate. And that means putting a little faith into him. He needs to believe, with firm conviction, that it’s possible to save this boy, who has been through so much, seen so much, and is still fighting through it.

He swallows his pride, his joking atmosphere, and asks him, “Do you think we could talk upstairs? I don’t really want to get into this, not in front of--” He gestures towards the handful of patrons around the restaurant.

“Uh, Sakura-san, could we bring the curry upstairs? I think Kurusu-kun needs some rest, so eating out here where it’s crowded might not be the best idea, especially if he has a headache.” Akechi throws in one of his angelic smiles along with the argument, and Sojiro caves  _ way  _ too quickly. 

Akira mutters something about favoritism not so quietly, but still throws a grateful look Akechi’s way. They head upstairs, and sit down on the bed, since the couch is still covered in clutter. “Sorry for the mess,” he says. “I really wasn’t...expecting company this soon.” 

Akechi looks around, and seems a little concerned about his living habits. He decides not to mention anything about them, and cuts to the chase right away. “What’s bothering you? Did something happen on your first day?”

“It’s been...kind of a long day. I guess the problem is, I feel kind of alone here?” His voice cracks on the words, and Akechi’s expression softens. Something in the atmosphere changes, and it becomes easier to let out the stream of consciousness trapped in his head. “I mean, it’s really just me here. I can’t tell anyone what I’m really thinking, because they’re relying on me. And so many people are relying on me, even if they don’t know it.

“There’s a, uh, situation that I’m in. I don’t want to get into the details but...someone’s going to get hurt. I know they are. And I’m...the  _ only one  _ who knows about it. Which means it’s my responsibility to take care of it, to save them, or else it’s my fault in the end that they ended up getting hurt. The blame falls to me, because I knew, and I couldn’t do anything to stop it. It feels like I’m being crushed under the guilt, and nothing has even happened.”

Akechi waits a few seconds to see if Akira is going to continue, but decides he’s finished and then asks, “Forgive me if I’m imposing, but would you like to talk about what exactly this situation would be?”

Akira laughs, but it’s without humor. “You wouldn’t believe me. It’s too absurd.”

“You’d be surprised what kind of absurdity I’d believe.” Their eyes lock, and for a moment, a sense of understanding passes between them. 

“Maybe...some other day, then. I’ll tell you what’s really going on.” He shakes his head at himself. “I don’t want to just avoid this, but...for now, I honestly just want to ignore everything and part of me hopes that it’ll just resolve itself on its own. I can’t handle this shit right now, you know?”

“I don’t mean to lecture or anything but I can’t help but get the sense that you’re taking too much on for yourself.” Akira balks visibly. “No, really. It might seem like this whole situation is your responsibility, but you can trust a little bit in others too. And I don’t want to imply that you haven’t already, but consider the people closest to this person you’re talking about. Their friends, their family.” Ann flashes in his mind. Then, Mishima. And the rest of the girls volleyball team. “They’re affected by this too. Shouldn’t they be held accountable for it, even just a little bit?

“You’re not the only one capable of helping others, Kurusu-kun. Let others take care of the heavy work, and take some rest for yourself. You don’t have to save the world. Just do what you can. You’re not alone here, alright?” 

These surprisingly sweet words, along with the spice of the curry Akira is shoveling into his mouth, bring a tear to his eyes. Who knew this boy could be such a sap when it really counted?

“Oh no, have I overstepped? I really didn’t mean to make you--”

“Ugh, stop being so sweet!” Akira shouts between a mouthful of rice. “You don’t need to apologize for something like that! Just let me  _ cathart _ , will you?”

“C-cathart? What does that even mean--”

“To experience  _ catharsis _ ! I’m  _ feeling  _ right now, Akechi--”

“You are so. Ridiculous.” Akechi is smiling too much now, and it feels entirely too fond. On the other hand, Akira doesn’t mind this new feeling of closeness between the two of them.

His bond with Akechi feels different this time around. It’s probably the fact that he isn’t out to kill him from the start, but the boy is surprisingly kind when it comes down to it. He would never have pegged a murderer to be so sensitive to the emotions of others. But in reality, Akechi is just another kid in a really bad situation, unsure of what to do with himself. At the root of everything, he wants to help others, he just goes about it the wrong way.

His tentative attempts at friendship have proven that perfectly. The way he dances around conversations with Akira, his fear of overstepping boundaries, and his anxiety embody someone who has no experience making friends. But through all of that, he has the concern and care towards Akira that show someone desperate not to be alone. And if he can care about Akira, maybe he can learn to let go of his anger towards the Phantom Thieves...

Maybe he really does have a chance of saving Akechi, and turning this shit around for the better. He could sure use some hope right around now, anyway.


	5. Falling Apart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I want to apologize for the SUPER late update!! Final exams and graduation have been kind of crazy for me, so I'm hoping the start of summer means a lot more time to work on and post chapters regularly (sadly, I cannot promise any regular updates right now. shit's crazy.)
> 
> Thank you all for sticking with this story and let me know what you think of the new chapter :)

After their shared moment in the attic, Akira and Akechi begin texting much more frequently. Of course, Akechi constantly frets over it, complaining about how Akira shouldn’t be texting in class, and how Sojiro is going to kill him if he finds out what a distraction he’s been, but he still continues to text back regardless.

 

**Aren’t you a model student or something, Akechi? What are /you/** **doing, texting in the middle of classes?**

 

_ I don’t find it necessary to humor you right now. I think I was busy chastising you to do your work, and now you argue that I’m actually hindering your education? _

 

**Akechi. Having a conversation about me “focusing on my studies more” in the middle of class isn’t exactly an ideal intervention.**

**Although...it’s always nice to hear how much you care, Akechi~~~ (until the blame is pointed at you and you deny everything)**

**Come to think of it, aren’t you also in class right now?**

 

_ My studies are fine!  _

_ I’ll have you know that I placed first in the national exam last year! I don’t need to worry about texting someone in class. _

 

**Oh really? If that’s the case, maybe you should just tutor me instead. I’m sure we could learn a lot together…more so than this english lesson -_-**

 

_ Hm...it’s possible… _

_ But ONLY if you promise to pay attention in class as well. Tutoring you would be a fruitless effort if you never learned the material in the first place. _

 

**Way to be such a positive influence, Akechi**

**If only Sojiro-san could see you now…**

 

_ I’m still convinced he doesn’t like me. He always seems annoyed when I come over to Leblanc… _

 

**Don’t worry, he’s just annoyed with me. I can never get any work done when you’re over, which makes it my fault.**

**He has trouble blaming you because of blatant favoritism, but that’s besides the point.**

 

_ I’m sure that’s not the case, haha… _

_ Anyway, you really need to focus! I’m going to stop texting you, for real this time. _

  
  


Akira tries not to smile at his lap like an idiot, knowing he’ll be called out by Chouno-sensei. But really, this kind of flirtation is new to him. He never had time to manage the Phantom Thieves and date anyone in the past timeline, and he honestly never felt any kind of attraction towards his friends. It’s nice to see what he was always missing out on.

The playful banter and harmless teasing never seem to end. It’s almost funny, how well their personalities click together. Akira has the newfound desire to get to know Akechi better, to see the parts of him that he couldn’t in the past.

Akira tries to remind himself that this isn’t real, that he’s flirting with Akechi just to get closer to him. Still, this quiet happiness isn’t something he wants to let go of. Their closeness is something he never thought he could crave so much.

Akira sighs and places his chin into his cupped hand. Then, he has to narrowly dodge an eraser thrown at him. Even though the texts have stopped, he’s still distracted by the mere thought of Akechi. That will be a fun excuse to use on the brunette later. 

He tries not to think too hard about how Akechi would look, blushing, if he used a line like “ _You’re always on my mind_ ” in response to a chastisement. (He fails miserably.)

The good thing about this situation, and Akira’s problems focusing in class, is his actual knowledge of the course. He’s proud to say that he aced all of these tests about a year ago. He isn’t too concerned about passing his classes this year, and getting tutoring from Akechi is just going to be another flimsy excuse to bond with him. 

He remembers tutoring Ann last year, before midterms when she was struggling with history. He looks up to see her scribbling some nonsense in her notebook. She seems to be deep in thought, but often she’s just thinking about getting a snack after school.

It’s a good memory, but it doesn’t fit with the melancholic expression on her face.  _ Maybe she’s thinking of Shiho.  _ Akira knows Ann’s in a tight spot right now, and he wants to do what he can to help her. But the priority is talking to Shiho, and getting close enough to stop her from jumping off of the roof in a week.

Akira thought about it long and hard last night, and he’s come up with the best plan he can to save the girl. The first thing, he thinks, is to prevent the catalyst, the meeting with Kamoshida that started this whole thing. He thinks if he can get Ryuji to fuck with Kamoshida it might provide a good enough distraction to stop Ann, Shiho, or any other girl from ending up in his office at the wrong time.

The second step is to get closer with her. Akira knows from his experience with others that talking about their problems can help alleviate a lot of stress from them. If he can get her to trust him, so she opens up about the abuse…

And the final step, a little riskier, but still important. He’s going to tell Ann that he thinks Shiho might hurt herself. The pressure from Ann towards Shiho could be a negative influence, he knows. It could even push her off the edge. But he thinks back to what Akechi had said earlier…

_ “You can trust a little bit in others too.” _

He’s going to trust Ann. She has a right to help Shiho as much as he does. And to be honest, he needs every ally he can get in this fight.

\---

 

Class ends, and Akira speeds out the door, in hopes of running into Shiho before she leaves for practice. He’s extraordinarily lucky today, running into her as she scrambles out of her classroom. 

“Hey, uh...Suzui-san?”

She looks up, eyes clouded with exhaustion. Then, something like recognition flickers in her gaze. “Um, yes, that’s me. You’re...the guy from yesterday, right?”

He nods. “I just wanted to apologize for yesterday. You looked like you were in a rush, and I’m worried I may have made you late.” He scratches the back of his head nervously. He needs a good reason for coming over here, and introducing himself to the girl.

“Was that all?” Her head tilts curiously. “It’s not something you have to apologize for. I was the one running recklessly, after all…”

“No, really. Let me apologize.” He smiles sheepishly. “But that’s not the real reason I came over. You seemed reluctant to go to the infirmary, and I was wondering if your bruises healed up?”

Shiho is clearly taken aback by this. She tries to pull her skirt down, but it’s too short to cover her kneecaps, which are covered in bruises. “These are...from volleyball. We take a lot of hard hits to the floor, it’s no big deal.”

“Well, if it’s any consolation, I brought a sort of peace offering.” He holds out a bottle of disinfectant and a small cloth. “If you’re not going to go to the infirmary, at least promise you’ll try and take care of yourself?”

Her hand reaches out a little unsteadily, but she grabs the bottle and smiles at him. “Wow, I really...that was unexpected.” She laughs quietly, but Akira thinks it’s the first time he’s seen it. “Thank you…oh no, that’s rude of me, I forgot to ask your name.”

“Akira Kurusu. I hope we can be friends?” He asks, putting on his most convincing grin.

“Sure,” she says, and it looks like she’s about to ask him something. Unfortunately, she’s interrupted as Mishima comes up to the two of them. She must see a warning in his expression, because she closes up again. After a quickly stammered, “I’ve got to go, sorry,” and the two of them head off towards the school gyms.

\----

It’s not even a minute later that Akira senses the malicious presence behind him. He turns to see Ann fuming, hands on her hips. 

She’s going for the threatening vibe, but it’s hard to take her seriously when he once stayed on the phone for her for an hour while a spider crawled around her bedroom. He knows her too well to believe she’d actually do anything to him.

Although, this  _ was  _ Shiho they were talking about…

“Hey, transfer. How exactly do you know that girl?” 

“Um, Suzui-san? I don’t know her well, if that’s what you’re asking. I ran into her in the hallway the other day, and thought I’d check in on her.”

Ann’s bright blue eyes tighten around the lids. “Check up on her, huh? What are you, some kind of pervert?”

Akira tries and fails not to laugh. “Excuse me? I really don’t understand how that could even be perceived as perverted...seriously, I don’t want anything but friendship from her.”

“That’s what they all say, at first,” Ann says darkly. Akira vaguely wonders how many suitors Ann has driven away with this routine of hers. Well, maybe that’s the entire point, he supposes. He never saw the two of them interact, but he saw Ann as the overprotective friend at the times they were seen together. It was sweet, if not a bit much. “Look, I don’t think you’re a bad guy. I just don’t know if I can trust you to  _ behave  _ around Shiho.”

Akira understands immediately. With all of this stress surrounding Kamoshida and his abuse of the volleyball team, it’s no wonder she’d be on edge when the mysterious transfer student began pursuing her. But he has to do something. 

He decides it’s time to pull out his trump card. _Now or never,_ _right?_ “Well, I didn’t want to bring it up, especially not here, but,” he looks around to see if any of the other students are listening, but they’re all too preoccupied in their own gossip to take notice of the two. “I’m pretty worried about her. Have you seen her bruises?”

Ann tenses. “Yes, and what about them?”

Akira tries to relax himself, to not give too much away. It would be suspicious if he revealed everything he knew--after all, he’s just a transfer. He shouldn’t have much of an idea at all what’s going on at the school. “I don’t know what’s up with her home life, or whoever is giving her those bruises but...she doesn’t look too good. I’m afraid she’ll...well…”

“You’re afraid she’ll what?” Ann looks so anxious, it makes him hesitant to even say anything more.

“Well, I knew a girl in the past going through some stuff at school,” he says. If he describes Shiho’s situation in the past, it isn’t  _ technically  _ lying, right? “She tried to keep all of her problems to herself, to protect her friends and family from the truth. Covered up the bruises, shook off any questions about her situation. She was strong,  _ so  _ strong, but...she couldn’t handle the stress.”

“Couldn’t...handle it?” Ann seems to be piecing together what Akira is implying, but he spells it out for her just the same.

“She jumped off of the school roof. I was too late to...to do  _ anything _ , really.”

Ann gasps and begins to flounder. “But Shiho...Shiho is…”

“I’m not saying it’s the same!” He quickly says, moving his arms and shaking his head, hoping she calms down. He could not handle seeing Ann cry, seriously. “I just...I saw a little bit of that girl in Suzui-san, and I want to help her. So nothing like that ever happens again, you know?”

She seems satisfied at this answer. Well, at the very least he isn’t being accused of perversions any more. “I suppose that’s a good enough reason.” Her trust is only momentary before she leans in again, and gets right in his face as she says, “But if I get  _ any  _ word of shit going on with that girl, I will mess you up.”

Akira always loved Ann’s protective and caring nature for her friends. He has to admit though, it feels strangely alienating from the other side. He offers her a grin, and holds out his hand. “Well then, I might as well introduce myself now that this interrogation is over. Kurusu Akira.”

“Ann Takamaki.” She squeezes a little bit of the soul out of his hand with that shake.  _ Jesus _ . “I hope we get along well.” How does she manage to make an introduction so menacing?  _ She should be using these tactics on the Shadows we fight. _

Akira’s phone buzzes. It’s probably Ryuji, asking him where the hell he is. “I’d love to stay and chat, but I think we lost track of the time here. Think we could continue this conversation later?”

She nods and turns away, but not before getting in the last word. “Good luck and goodbye, Kurusu-kun. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Ugh. Why did that give him chills? Ann was not supposed to be this intimidating. It was pretty fun, though, seeing this different side of her. Maybe he’d get to know her better like this if they managed to save Shiho.

\----

He and Ryuji meet up at the rooftop to discuss their plans. Akira needs to convince Ryuji that they should go back into the Palace to fight Kamoshida and to try to save a bad situation. He figures the sooner they get the guy’s Treasure, the more likely it is that they can avoid the whole deal with Shiho. After all, eliminating Kamoshida from the situation is the perfect solution to this entire problem, isn’t it?

He perfectly judges Ryuji, knowing the guy was already eager to pick a fight with the teacher even before the Palace was introduced. He only gets about a minute to explain his plan before Ryuji jumps on the idea, claiming that they’re gonna be “effin’ baddies.” He starts rambling off ways that they can destroy the guy and make him regret the moment he crossed them, but Akira stops him. They need to talk business.

Their basic plan of attack is to explore the Palace, regroup with Morgana, and try to find some sort of map to navigate the Palace. He’s hoping they can work a little bit further as soon as they reach a safe room, but he might be a little optimistic for where Ryuji is at. And if they don’t find Morgana, they’re gonna have a lot more problems getting past even just a few guards.

Akira’s only miscalculation in this master plan involves Ann. He thought they came to a resolution in the hallway, but apparently he underestimated her stubbornness. It’s peculiar, he thinks, how much more aggressive all of Ann’s personality traits are as they relate to Shiho. She’s almost entirely unpredictable now.

Sometime during the thirty or so minutes he and Ryuji had spent talking on the roof, Ann had followed the two of them to the rooftop, and he only notices her presence when he hears a scream the instant they enter the Metaverse.

“ _ What the hell kind of prank is this, you bastard?” _ Ann comes storming up to him. She is still wearing her Shujin uniform, and so is Ryuji. Still, she manages to hold an intimidating stance. “What is this place and how the hell did we get here?”

Ryuji looks panicked. Akira remembers his reluctance to let Ann onto the team. She’s not the type to back down, and he knows she’ll just find a way into the Palace herself if he lets her go. It’s better that they all stick together. 

He shoots Ryuji a reassuring glance, and steps towards the blonde. “Ann, can we trust you?” He looks her straight in the eye and tries to convey the magnitude of the situation.

She shakes her head in disbelief. “I feel like I should be asking you that question…” She looks up at him, with hesitant confirmation. “Yeah. You can trust me. But you’d better explain what the fuck is going on, alright?”

Ryuji laughs. “I don’t really understand it myself, either. But this guy seems to know this world better than the two of us, and if it counts for anything, I trust him.”

At the sentimental words, Akira feels the sudden urge to hug him, but he holds himself back and settles for a nod in his direction. “Ann, this is Mementos, the world of cognition. And we’re trying to use it to save your friend Shiho.”

\----

Things progress surprisingly smoothly after that. The three of them, although near-strangers at this point in time, have the same chemistry that bound them together in the past. When Morgana joins them at the gate of the Palace, Ann is shocked to see that he can talk, but she takes the whole situation surprisingly well.

The three of them do hate Kamoshida enough to overcome whatever differences they may have, and it makes the whole team bonding process a lot quicker. But Akira is genuinely surprised at the confrontation with Kamoshida in the main throne room.

What he remembers from the past is two unique conflicts with Kamoshida’s shadow, in which Ryuji and Ann separately awakened their Personas out of rage towards the man.

He wonders nonchalantly which one of them would be the first to awaken to their Persona. Ann seems the most likely option, considering how fired up she is, but Ryuji is ready to kick ass.

As he lay at the end of one of the guard’s huge swords, he questions for a second whether either one of them would even awaken to awaken, under the circumstances he had inevitably created. But then, as he mutters a quiet call to rebellion, it happens.

Ryuji and Ann pull themselves up off of their knees in sync with one another. The ground around their feet stirs with the slight pull of wind, a beautiful but dangerous vision. The air in the hall stills and goes cold, and then dangerously hot with the flames of Carmen and Captain Kidd’s electric charge.

Some kind of exchange occurs between their Personas and they rip off their masks in unison, charging the room with an impossible energy, the likes of which scare Kamoshida out of the room. He scrambles to reach the door, and only barely makes it before all of his personal guard is decimated by the newly enraged Ann and Ryuji. 

Once the room is cleared, the two of them slump down, shocked by the magnitude of the blast, and worn out by the connections they both just formed. Ann is the first to speak. “That was...incredible.”

“For real,” Ryuji says wearily, wiping the sweat off his brow. “Does that normally happen around here?” 

The two of them must recognize the shock on Akira and Morgana’s faces, and they laugh like what just happened was an everyday occurrence.

“How are you taking this better than I am?” Akira says, scratching his head. “Never mind. The point is, it’s extremely rare to have two awakenings at once. I can’t even…”

Morgana pipes in, still looking a little bit shocked at the occurrence. “Maybe it would be best to talk this over in somewhere a bit safer.” The group nods, and heads towards the safe room at the end of the corridor before settling into the couches and taking a quick rest.

“I still can’t really believe this is all happening,” Ann says. “It just feels like a really detailed dream at this point, if I’m being completely honest.”

Ryuji nods in agreement. “I’ve been in this place before, and it still doesn’t feel any more real to me than it did the other day.” He grins, and punches Ann’s shoulder. “You pick this stuff up quick, Ann.”

“Shhhh!” Morgana chides. “We shouldn’t use our real names here, even if this is a safe room! You should all be a little more aware that this place isn’t a dream, and it could very well kill you if you’re not a little more cautious.”

Akira grins and suggests, “Well then, how about we come up with some code names?”

\----

The next day at school, they see each other in class and in the hallways, and silently resolve to wait for a better time to talk somewhere more...private...than the middle of a crowded hallway. Lunch period finds the three of them hanging out on the deserted rooftop. Two other students are also there, but they look too preoccupied in...each other...to pay any attention to whatever nonsense Ann, Akira and Ryuuji are all talking about. 

Ann immediately cuts to the chase. “So...we’re going back into that Palace today, right?”

Ryuji grins at her. “That’s the plan, Cat Girl.”

“I already told you, it’s Panther. If you’re gonna try and make fun of my costume, I swear you’re gonna get no support from me in that godforsaken Palace.”

“Hey, hey, let’s be civil here,” Akira says, trying to mediate the conflict. He wonders if having a fourth person might make the fighting a little less tense. Morgana would obviously just bring more aggression to the table, but someone like Akechi might add a calming presence to the group…

That’s something he can dwell on later. For now, they need to discuss strategy, and the options they do have to take down Shadows. “We’ve all got the same goal here, we just need to focus on what we can do.”

He pulls out a calendar, and outlines a few goal dates. “We’ve got a few deadlines we have to reach here.” He points out the circled day on the calendar with a star next to it. Four days ahead. “ _ This  _ is the day I’m hoping we can steal the treasure by. I know it’s a bit of a challenge, but…”

Ann nods. “Think of all of the students who have had to put up with this shit for years.” She bites her lip in frustration. “If I had it my way, we’d get rid of this guy tonight and get it over with.”

Ryuji smiles. “That’s the attitude! I’m gettin’ fired up, just thinking about getting my hands on that asshole.” He cracks his knuckles in a show of intimidation.

A voice comes from behind them, and they all startle. “Slow down, guys. It’s more important to get the job done right, rather than quickly.”

“M-Morgana? Is that you?” Ann says hesitantly, poking at the cats whiskers.

Ryuji is still looking around for the source of the voice, and Morgana laughs manically. “Don’t look so surprised to see me. What, were you expecting someone taller?”

Despite their initial shock of seeing Morgana in the real world, the four quickly settle into a discussion of their game plan. They’re taking a lot of precautions towards the dangers of the Palace, but still utilizing Akira’s mysteriously strong Personas. They’ll dedicate the majority of their recovery items to Ryuji and Ann to make room for some beginner mistakes.

During the entire conversation, though, Akira’s mind can’t help but wander. He wonders how much more quickly they could get through this whole Palace if there was another experienced Persona user at his side--one with a militantly organized plan for everything, and beautiful eyes that saw through everything…

He really needs to work on this whole distraction thing, doesn’t he? It’s hard not to think about Akechi though, especially when he could be going through a Palace right now. For the wrong reasons, of course.

But if he could get Akechi on their side, it could be a real game changer, for both Shiho and Akechi’s salvation. 

\----

After the daily Palace run, Akira is exhausted. Not nearly as tired as Ryuji and Ann are, but still tired enough that he wants to just shower and go to sleep the moment he steps into Leblanc. But he has a visitor waiting for him.

Akechi sits at the bar, coffee in hand, sipping delicately. Akira knows he only does that to humor Sojiro, but it’s still cute the way he drinks like a bird. It’s even cuter, the way his face seems to light up when Akira walks in.

It’s not too late, since they ended their session early (for the newbies’ sake, of course). This is a perfect night to get to bed early, considering how worn out he’ll be by the end of the week. Consecutive Palace runs aren’t a part of his usual routine, but he’s making this exception for Shiho’s sake.

In any case, it’s a bad idea to go out with a friend right now, when he should be resting for a big day tomorrow. But how can he say no to that persistent gaze? 

He’s embarrassed to say he didn’t last even twenty seconds under those pleading red eyes. “So...where are we going today, Akechi?”

The boy looks a little concerned at Akira’s current state. “Are you sure you’re good to come out tonight? I was just going to run some errands, I was looking for a new book, but if you’re not…”

“Stop worrying so much!” Akira says, poking the crease between his eyebrows affectionately. “I know, I know, you can’t help it. But just understand that this is good stress relief. I like going out with you, you know.”

Akechi flushes deeply and then nods. “Well, I suppose if it makes you feel better, then it’s the least I can do. So...you wanna head down to Jinbocho?”

“We’d better hurry before we miss the next train.”

\----

But when it comes down to it, they don’t hurry. They linger as they walk down streets illuminated by the pale pink of sunset and brush shoulders as they chat and walk together. Even the most trivial things sound interesting in Akechi’s soft tones, from what he ate for breakfast to complaints about his incompetent coworkers at the police station.

Akira can’t stop laughing when he hears Akechi’s elaborate rant about a specific detective who continued to demonstrate incompetence in labeling bags of evidence. It’s nice, hearing Akechi’s inner murderous monologue towards the man when in reality, the boy’s non confrontational persona probably brushed over all of the conflict.

This was Akechi’s true, unfiltered self speaking to Akira, and he couldn’t get enough of it. Another bonus was how  _ pleased  _ he seemed that he was able to get such a laugh out of Akira. 

Sure, maybe it wasn’t the most responsible decision to hang out with Akechi instead of resting up for a Palace run. But despite the soreness in his legs, and the mental weariness from being so on guard in the Palace, he felt a small ember of contentment in his chest, at the sight before him. And besides, he was a helpless fool whenever it came down to spending more time with Akechi. How could he hold any regrets?

\----

By the time they ride the train back to Leblanc, it’s dark outside and the air feels cold. Akechi’s hands look warm in his gloves, but Akira thinks of how much warmer they would feel, bare against his own skin. He almost laughs out loud at how sappy he is, but quickly puts it into check. He’s just sleepy, that’s all. 

The two of them aren’t even talking right now, just leaning against one another in exhaustion as the rocking of the train lulls them into a not-quite-sleep. They watch the dwindling crowds step in and out of the train car, until a bright-eyed young man comes up to the two of them.

Akira almost doesn’t believe it, and wonders if he really had fallen asleep into some dream where a coincidence this real was possible. Yusuke, making intense eye contact with him, and walking up to him with a purpose.

What the hell was going on? Sure, a lot of strange stuff had changed in this timeline, but Yusuke coming up to the two of them? It was just too absurd.

Regardless, Akira wasn’t about to let an opportunity like this just slip away. If he could get Yusuke on their side earlier rather than later...it was strange to him how quickly these developments were making themselves known--first with Futaba, and then Yusuke--but he would do anything he could to take care of his friends and right the wrongs he’d made in the past.

He tries to smile and look as friendly as he can, but Akechi is making a strange expression in the seat next to him. He looks guarded and concerned with the boy’s presence. Akira tries to comfort him, sliding a hand to his shoulder, but Akechi just looks over at him as if he’s trying to convey some secret message through his eyes.

He’s definitely not going to be happy about Akira’s friendliness towards the artist.

Yusuke holds onto the rail above their heads and leans into the two of them before asking, “Would you two be willing to pose for a painting for me?”

Akechi freezes up at the words, and begins to open his mouth. Akira knows he’s about to try and politely (but coldly, as usual) push Yusuke away and avoid the situation entirely. But he can’t let that happen right now, not when he has the chance to bring Yusuke onto the team almost a month earlier than planned.

“A painting?” He says quickly. “Sounds interesting. Why us, though?”

“You have a very interesting look about the two of you. The calm and quiet peace between you was beautiful. The two of you together are so captivating, I simply had to come over…”

Akira tries not to laugh at his friend’s weird obsession with beauty. “Then by all means, if we can provide a muse for you…” He looks over at Akechi, pleading. “Would you be alright with that?”

“I--well, I’m just not sure about the safety of following someone home so they can paint a  _ picture  _ of us,” he says, looking pointedly at Yusuke. The young artist is unfazed by the clear insult to his character, maybe not even aware of it. While it’s amusing to Akira, he can only assume it burns some frustration deep inside of Akechi that he wasn’t even able to make a scratch there.

“If you’d feel safer, we could always meet in a park or somewhere a little more public,” Akira suggests. “I think it could be fun, I’ve always wanted to be the subject of a painting.” That’s sort of a lie, considering how many times he’s been dragged out by Yusuke for portrait practice, but he thinks it’s the right thing to say in the given situation.

“We could always pay for a portrait instead,” Akechi says, shooting invisible daggers at Akira with his eyes.  _ Take the hint!  _ He seems to be screaming.

Akira will not take the hint.

Yusuke chimes in, “I assure you, since I am only a student, I wouldn’t even think to charge you for my services. The portrait would be completely free for the two of you.” He smiles as if he has given some great gift to Akechi, whose face has now turned a bit red.

“That would be wonderful. May we know the name of the skilled artist so willing to paint our picture?” Akira says, trying to convey a friendly enough air to counter the dark aura that’s appeared around the young detective.

“Yusuke Kitagawa. You may just call me Yusuke.”

“Nice to meet you, Yusuke. I’m Akira, and this is…” Akechi coughs loudly. “...my  _ friend  _ here should actually introduce himself, shouldn’t he?”

The boy gapes at Akira. He probably hadn’t been expecting that, but he should at least try and push him to be more social with the other Confidants. That was part of the plan after all, wasn’t it? “I’m...Akechi. It’s nice to meet you, Yusuke.”

“Anyways, let’s exchange info. We should schedule a time and place for this sort of thing, right?” Akira says, trying to wrap up the conversation. Better to face Akechi’s wrath sooner rather than later. “Can we exchange numbers? I’ll let you know when the two of us would be free.”

“Thank you. My stop is coming up here, so I’ll just send you any available times I have.”

“Of course,” Akira says, grinning, and holding up his phone to exchange chat IDs. It feels like he’s checking off some invisible box off of his list. Sure, it’s a small victory, but it’s also a necessary one.

That feeling of victory quickly diminishes, however, when he notices Akechi fuming quietly beside him. They weren’t really talking much before Yusuke had come up to them, but the silence hadn’t felt this suffocating, either. Was he really that upset about this whole thing?

“Akechi?” Akira says, nudging him gently. “Hey, are you upset with me? I’m sorry if I--”

“Are you really sorry?” Akechi interrupts him. “I don’t think you have any awareness of the situation at hand, and if you did you would  _ listen  _ to me for once, god…”

“Well, since I don’t understand, explain it to me. Please. What’s so wrong with accepting an invitation out? This is how you make new friends, Akechi.”

“I get that you’re a social butterfly or whatever, but you need to have  _ some  _ kind of awareness. He’s a total stranger, and you just hand out your information and your trust like it’s nothing? How can you trust someone that easily?”

“You know, we were strangers when we first met. Do you regret trusting me?”

He flushes bright red, although Akira can’t tell if it’s in anger or embarrassment. “That’s...different.”

“How is that possibly any different than what just happened?”

“It just is!” Akechi is almost yelling now, and he quickly looks around the rest of the train car to see if anyone has noticed his outburst. The car is empty except for the two of them, so he relaxes and slouches into his seat. “It’s different. You should know it’s...not easy for me to trust people I’ve just met.”

“Then trust me, Akechi. I’m not going to let some stranger we met on a train kidnap the two of us, but I have a good feeling about this one.” Akechi is about to speak up, but Akira anticipates it, and counters him before he can even make the argument. “And  _ if  _ I’m wrong, we’ll find a way out of it. But if you can trust me, you’ll meet a new friend, and that’s something I know you won’t regret.” He sticks out his pinky finger, and says softly, “I promise.”

Akechi shakes Akira’s pinky with his own, and they hold hands like that for a long while. Akira feels something warm way down in the pit of his stomach, but he ignores it in favor of the deep warmth of Akechi’s eyes.

Wow, he really is screwed.

They make it back to Leblanc, tension behind them, and the cool breeze of a spring night behind them. Akira offers to let him sleep over, but Akechi promises he’ll stay safe on his way back.

He dreamily makes his way up to the attic, falling down onto the dusty bed like it’s a cloud, and falls into a deep sleep. He has no idea what dreams await him.

\----

The royal blue sky and the familiar tune of the Velvet Room await him, but something is  _ wrong _ , that much he can figure out. The floor under his feet is cracked and broken in places, and no one is there waiting at Igor’s desk to greet him.

The air is still and smells like a storm. A weird energy crackles in the air around him, and he feels a sudden heaviness in his limbs. He can’t move, can’t search the place for his friends. The feeling of oppressive hopelessness he associated with Yaldabaoth is here yet again, but why?

Was he really able to conquer Igor and Lavenza so easily? It looks like they put up a bit of a fight, but he really can’t tell if they’re gone for good, or simply retreated to make an attack later.

He really hopes it’s the latter.

The dream ends quickly, but Akira’s mind is racing. There’s a chance this vision really was a dream, meant to scare him and remind him that Yaldabaoth is there and willing to do whatever it takes to survive. But he has a feeling that things won’t work out quite that well for him. After all, he’s never been that lucky, especially when it comes down to Mementos.

So, no Igor, no Lavenza, and no Velvet Room at his disposal. Yaldabaoth is presumably even more powerful than he had been in the previous timeline. But he can work with this scenario. He knows who he’s up against, and if he can get Akechi on their side…

They might just have a shot at putting that fucker away for good.


End file.
